Church is confusing these days. Especially with all the different denominations and applications to scripture.
I feel a tension in my generation of Mennonites. We learn in church that a passage of Scripture means this and we should be doing that because of it.
But other believers aren’t. Other people who have authentic relationships with Jesus aren’t necessarily wearing the veiling or dressing in dresses. In fact, some of them are having a greater impact on our culture. So why do we insist on doing things our way?
Then, when we go into missions, we learn to let the indigenous people apply scripture how they see best fit for their culture. And it’s okay if it is not the same way we apply it. They can wear headbands, if that’s what is best for them, even if we wear white bonnet coverings. Their men can wear shorts, even if we’re not supposed to.
But if it’s alright for them, why isn’t it for us?
Sometimes it feels like our particular interpretations and applications of scripture, as Mennonites, make it impossible for others to join our churches unless they completely abandon their background. So, if we really want to influence society it seems that we should change. Like quit doing things the way we’re taught in church and embrace the way culture does it—at least the way those believers who are having a greater impact do it.
A few get fed-up with Mennonite ethnocentricity and leave–taking off the covering, putting on the wedding band.
But does it actually solve anything if we do that?
Does changing the physical help bring about spiritual fruit?
I don’t think what keeps Mennonites from being relevant to culture are applications, but the inability to differentiate between what is sin and what are just differences in those applications.
We like to make eternal judgments of people based on what they do physically. And that gets exhausting. Especially when we see spiritual fruit coming from people who are doing physical things differently than we are, like not wearing the veiling.
But don’t we have that same mindset when we then decide that we don’t need to wear the veiling or dress the way our church says in order to follow Christ? Aren’t we still unable to differentiate between different applications? We’re still focused on the physical. Nothing has actually changed, we’re just now choosing to look at different parts of the physical.
My church may have a good application of scripture. And just because someone else has an equally good application that is different from ours doesn’t mean I need to change, does it? If it’s a better application maybe it would be good to change. But it doesn’t always feel like we’re pursuing better as much as we are different.
But then I wonder why Mennonites are so ineffective when it comes to engaging culture?
Is the way we apply scripture the problem? Should we change what kind of veil our ladies wear, whether women can wear pants and men can wear shorts? Should we taboo our hymnals and bring in the band?
What do you think? I’d like to hear from you.
Share your thoughts in the comments.
*I’ll tell you why I’m Mennonite as well as why that isn’t the point, right here.
Join Unfeigned Christianity to access all our member-only content.
Become a paying member of Unfeigned Christianity and access a full dashboard of resources for Christians wanting culturally aware, biblically nuanced, and Jesus-embodying responses to current-day issues. Try the first 7 days free!
Already a member? Login
A subscription gets you:
✔ Subscriber-only posts and full archives (250+ in all)
✔ Exclusive podcast interviews
✔ The audiobook version of Live Free: Making Sense of Male Sexuality
